诺贝尔化学奖获得者curl教授演讲稿 4页

IwasborninAlice,TexasonAugust23,1933.MyfatherwasaMethodistminister,andmymotherwaswhatwethencalledahousewife.Ihaveasister,Mary,whoissomeyearsmyelder.Inthosedays,Methodistministersmovedoften,andasachildIlivedinasuccessionofmostlysmalltownsinsouthTexas:Alice,Brady,SanAntonio,Kingsville,DelRio,Brownsville,McAllen,Austin,thenbacktoSanAntonio.Duringthistimethechurchhierarchyrecognizedthatmyfatherwasanableadministratorcapableoforganizingpeopletogetthingsdoneandgiftedatresolvingconflicts.FromthetimeIwasaboutninemyfatherwasnolongerpastorofachurchbutratherasupervisorofchurchactivitiesoveradistrict.ThiswasagreatrelieftomeasIwassparedbeingthecenterofjudgmentalattentionasthe"preacher"skid."BythetimeIreachedadulthoodmyfatherwasuniversallyreveredasafair,kind,andgentlemanwithanacutemind.HismostenduringmonumentwillbetheSanAntonioMedicalCenterasheworkedhardandeffectivelytostarttheMethodistHospitalthere,whichreallystartedthecenter.WhenIwasnineyearsold,myparentsgavemeachemistryset.Withinaweek,Ihaddecidedtobecomeachemistandneverwaveredfromthatchoice.AsIgrewmyinterestinchemistrygrewmoreintense,ifnotmoresophisticated.Ofcoursetherewasnochemistryintheschoolprogramuntilhighschool.Iwasnotaparticularlydistinguishedstudentasachild.Mygradesweregoodbutobtainedmorebysteadyworkthananybrillianceonmypart.IvividlyremembermyfathertellingmethatoneofmyelementaryschoolteachershadtoldhimthatIwasnotbrilliantbutIwasasteadyhardworker.SomehowthefurtherIprogressedinschool,theeasieritbecametodowell.ItwasagreatdelightwhenIfinallygottostudychemistryinhighschool.Myteacher,Mrs.LorenaDavis,sawthatIwaskeenlyinterestedanddidherbesttofosterandnourishthatinterest.Asonlyoneyearofchemistrywasofferedthen,Ihadnoformalcourseinthesubjecttotakemyfinalyearinhighschool.Mrs.Davisofferedmespecialprojectstosatisfymyappetiteforchemistry.IremembermostconstructingaCottrellPrecipitator.IwasshockedtoseeMrs.Davis,whodidn"tsmoke,lightupacigaretteandblowsmokeintotheprecipitatortodemonstratethatitworked.Whenitcametimetochooseacollege,IgotinterestedinRiceInstitute.Ithadanexcellentreputationasbeingagoodschoolforadedicatedstudent.Iwasalsoimpressedbyhowwellitsfootballteamwasdoing.MyparentslovedmychoicebecauseatthattimeRicechargednotuition,andtheywouldhavebeenhardpressedtosendmetoauniversitythatdid.Whilemyfatherheldthehighestadministrativeoffice,notcountingtheBishop,intheSouthwestTexasConference,hedidnotmakemuchmoney.AtthattimetherewasahighfailurerateatRice.Withnotuition,studentswereexpectedtoprovethemselvesworthyormakewayforsomeoneelse.However,Iwasready forthechallengethatRicepresentedandprosperedacademically.Socially,myfellowstudentswerereadyforthechallengethatIpresentedandworkedhardtoconvertaratherstraight-laced,seriousboyintosomeonetheycouldstandtobearound.Byaquirkoffate,themostcolorfulprofessorsIencounteredinmyfirstyearstaughtsubjectsotherthanchemistry.Ilikedmyfirstandsecondyearchemistryprofessors(infactIlaterdevelopedacloserrelationwithmysecondyearprofessor,JohnT.Smith),buttheywerenotparticularlycolorful.ItwasnotuntilmythirdyearwhenIhadJohnE.KilpatrickforPhysicalChemistryandGeorgeHolmesRichterforOrganicChemistrythatthechemistrydepartmentbegantopullaheadinthecolorfulnessrace.JohnKilpatrickcametoclass,satinthemiddleofthetableinfront,litacigarette,tookanenormousdrag,andbegantospeak.Nosmokecameout!Richterenlivenedhislecturesbydescribingthepharmacologicaleffectsofvariousorganicchemicals.RichterwasafineteacherofOrganicChemistry,butthatwasoflittleusetomesinceIhadanalmostunnaturalaversiontoOrganicChemistry.KilpatrickwasthemostwelcomingtostudentsofanypersonIeverencounteredwithabsolutelynoregardfortheamountoftimehespentwithastudent.This,happilyforhim,madethetimehedevotedself-limiting,becauseIwouldthinkaboutwhetherIhadanhourortwotosparebeforedroppingbytoseehim.ThemostimpressivechemistryteacherIhadwasRichardTurner,whomIfirstencounteredinaseniorNaturalProductscourse.(ThecurriculumwascleverlyconstructedsothatitwasimpossibletoavoidasecondencounterwithOrganicChemistry.)ItwashisenthusiasticdiscussionofbarrierstointernalrotationandthepioneeringworkofKennethPitzerintheareathatmademeresolvetogotoUniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley,andworkwithPitzer.ThisisadecisionIhaveneverregretted.WhileIwasatBerkeley,PitzerwastheDeanoftheCollegeofChemistryandaverybusyman.Neverthelesshewasalwayscompletelyaccessibletohisgraduatestudents,andalwaysgenuinelydelightedtoseemewhenIinterruptedhiswork.Whenourconversationreacheditsconclusion,hegraciouslygotmeoutofhisoffice.Iwasgratefulforthisaswellbecauseatthetime,asyoucanseefrommycommentsaboutvisitingJohnKilpatrick,Ihadtroublewithleave-takings.IthinkthatIreceivedanexcellenteducationinhowtodoresearchfromPitzer.ThemostimportantworkIdidatBerkeleywasonPitzer"sextensionoftheTheoryofCorrespondingStates.Overtheyears,IhaveremainedincontactwithKenandJeanPitzer.Indeed,wewereabletocollaborateagaininresearchsomeyearslaterwhenhewaspresidentofRiceUniversity.MyyearsatBerkeleyweresomeofthehappiestofmylifeprimarilybecauseitwasduringthistimethatImetandmarriedmywife,Jonel.Ourunionseemedpre-ordainedwhenwediscoveredthatourancestorscamefromthetinytownofCenterPoint,Texas(pop.300). Atthattime,thereseemedtobeanunwrittenrulethatPitzer"sstudentsshoulddoexperimentaswellastheory.Thissuitedme,becauseIhadalwaysbeeninterestedinexperiments.PitzersuggestedthatIinvestigatethematrixisolationinfraredspectrumofdisiloxaneinordertoestablishwhethertheSiO-Sibondwaslinearorbent.IfIhadtriedtodotheseexperimentsinvolvingliquidhydrogenwithouthelp,Ibelievethereisagoodchanceanexplosionwouldhaveresulted.However,afellowstudent,DolphusMilligan,helpedmetremendouslywiththeseexperimentsandwithhisaidIwasabletocollectthenecessarydata,whichindicatedthatSi-O-Siissomewhatbentfromlinearty.Pitzerwasabletohelpmegetapost-doctoralpositionwithE.BrightWilsonatHarvard.Atthattime,WilsonhaddevelopedamethodformeasuringbarrierstointernalrotationusingmicrowavespectroscopyandIwasstillinterestedininternalrotationbarriers.Itseemedaperfectsituation.IenjoyedHarvardscientifically.Wilson"spersonalitywasverydifferentfromPitzer"s.AlthoughhewasborninTennessee,hepersonifiedtheNewEnglandvirtuesofuprightintegrityandseriousconcernaboutallaspectsoflife.Hisdisapprovalofsuperstitioninallformswaswell-known;noneofuswoulddarementioninhispresencethegremlinsweallsuspectedinhabitedhismicrowavespectrometer.Wilsonaboveallwasafine,decent,caringpersonwhowantedthebestforhisstudents.TheatmosphereinMallinkrodtLaboratoryatHarvardwassomewhatdifferentfromthatofLewisHallatBerkeley.Perhapsitwasbecausethegraduatesystemandexpectationsforgraduatestudentsweredifferent.Atthattime,astudentwasexpectedtocompletehisPh.D.atBerkeleyinthreeyearswhileatHarvardittookmanystudentsfiveorevenmoreyears.Comparedwiththelaid-backBerkeleygraduatestudentsofmyday,Harvardstudentsseemedintenseandofteneccentric.ThebigexceptionwasDudleyHerschbach,whowasmodest,relaxed,andfriendly,andthemostbrilliantintellectIhadencounteredinsomeonemyownage.Inthosedaysfacultyhiringwasdonewithfewformalities.Somewhatout-of-the-blue,IgotanoffertocomebacktoRiceasanAssistantProfessor.TheprospectofreturningtoawarmclimateandfamiliarsurroundingsfullofmanyhappymemorieswasdelightfulandwithnonegotiationsIhappilyaccepted.IinheritedGeorgeBird"sgraduatestudentsandhismicrowavespectrometer,whichwasmoresensitivethanWilson"s.Ofthesetwostrokesofgoodluck,Bird"sstudentsprovedthegreatertreasure.MyveryfirststudentwasJimKinsey.HeaccomplishedsomuchinthefirstyearthatIwasatRicethathegraduated.TheworkwedidtogetheronthemicrowavespectrumofClO2andthetreatmentoffineandhyperfinestructuresetmeupforaproductiveperiodofstudyingthespectraofstablefreeradicals.IhaveremainedatRicefrom1958untiltoday.Inmyprofessionalandresearchcareer, IhaveplayedavarietyofrolesandworkedinseveralareasofPhysicalChemistry,toovariedtodescribefurther.AgreatdealofmyresearchhasbeencollaborativeinvolvingotherprincipalsbothatRiceandelsewhere.Ihaveenjoyedquiteafewverypleasantresearchassociationsovertheyears.OutsideRiceIhavecollaboratedwithC.A.Coulson,RogerKewley,TakeshiOka,KenEvenson,JohnBrown,EiziHirota,ShujiSaito,AnthonyMerer,WolfgangUrban,HarryKrotoandLeonPhillips.AmongtheRiceFaculty,IhaveenjoyedcollaborationswithJohnKilpatrick,FrankTittel(forthelast25years),PhilBrooks,RickSmalley,GrahamGlassandBruceWeisman.TheNobelPrizeinChemistrywasawardedtoRickSmalley,HarryKroto,andmyselfforthefruitsofoneofthesecollaborations,thediscoveryofthefullerenes.Imustpointoutthatwedonotclaimthisdiscoveryisoursalone.JamesHeathandSeanO"Brien,whoweregraduatestudentsatthetime,haveequalclaimtothisdiscovery.BothJimandSeanwereequalparticipantsinthescientificdiscussionsthatdirectedthecourseofthisworkandactuallydidmostoftheexperiments.TheearlyexperimentsthatSeanandJimdidnotdowerecarriedoutbyYuanLiuandQing-LingZhang.Atanearlystage,FrankTittelbecameinvolvedinthiswork.Atalaterstage,F.D.WeissandJ.L.Elkinddidtheshrinkwrapexperiments,whichwereamongthestrongestevidenceforthefullerenehypothesis.RobertF.CurlJr.